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Tuesday, January 1, 2013

{wellness challenge} drink your H2O!



How about a fun challenge to kick off the new year?

Did you know I am a certified heath coach? I studied with Institute for Integrative Nutrition  for a year and even attended a conference to hear some big names talk about health and wellness. Nutrition and food can be a pretty overwhelming topic to study. It seems like there is conflicting information and new ideas out each week.

But, one easy thing you can do to feel amazing is drink more water. I am working with the Apothecary Circle for an entire year to up my skills in the healing arts (herbs, nutrition, natural cures).

So far, I am super excited by the women who are involved and the breath of information we are going to cover. (if you are interested in any of Laura Emily's programs, I have an affiliate discount code for 15% off ::  HERBS506)

Our first challenge is to rehydrate. It is a simple cleanse to start the new year. If you want to join with me, I would love to support you and work together. To join, just leave a message in the comments. I will post here every week this month with an update and you can check in. Easy.

Here are some guidelines:

+Try to drink a big glass of water every morning before you eat. I can do 24 oz with some lemon and it helps clear your system and gently wake you up. You could even fill up a water bottle to have next to your bed so you can drink it as you are getting dressed.

+Aim for 80-100 oz a day, but not all at once. Sip all day long. Yes, you will have to pee more, but some of the benefits can be better digestion, decrease in headaches and body ache, better sleep, better skin and more vibrancy in general.

Many health experts believe that most people are chronically dehydrated and that many, many health concerns can be cleared up with just drinking more water. It is certainly worth giving it a go!

+If you drink caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, add more water, as both of those are dehydrating. You do not have to give anything up - just add more to balance out the affects.

+Figure out how you will keep track. I like to drink from a 12 oz. Mason jar and I mark my ounces on the chalkboard each time I fill it up. You can also fill a pitcher of your goal amount each morning. And there are even apps that can help you keep track. However you do it - make sure it makes sense to you and your lifestyle. This is meant to be easy and take literally no more than 5 extra minutes a day.

+Feel free to add citrus, fruit and herbs to flavor your water. My personal favorite is lemon and rosemary. The aromatherapy benefits are powerful too. What about a splash of rose water? Or mint? Tarragon?

That is it!

I will post more later with some of my favorite ideas and hope you will share too. If this goes well, I have a whole year of monthly wellness challenges planned. Remember, my word for the year is FLY? Well, I am extending the metaphor into flock building. You know how birds fly together with one leading and making the air resistance less for the others? We can do that too. If we fly together we can ease the journey for each other. Are you in?

Healthy, vibrant mamas make healthy vibrant families!




90 comments:

  1. I am in. This will really be a challenge for me. I hardly drink any water. Can't wait!

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    1. good luck! i can not wait to hear how you do!

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  2. I am joining you I wanted to start this year out getting myself in better shape to be able to keep up with my ever active kiddos. I never like to put the focus in a number on the scale for fear of my daughter ever feeling you need to be a certain number to be beautiful so we talk often about health choice to make us healthy not "skinny. " This is another great way of helping her understand the importance of being healthy and an easy lifestyle change to accomplish it. Thanks. I am going to fill my bottel now

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    1. i love this so much! i want my children to know about health and wellness and not be concerned how they look. i want them to be concerned with how vibrant and alive they feel.

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  3. Sounds great! I really need to cut out my diet soda intake and up the water I drink.

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    1. the more water you drink, the less pop you will want!

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  4. Can't wait to start.

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  5. GREAT idea! I started drinking more water when my nephrologist encouraged me to eliminate caffeine. I am down to one cup of coffee in the morning, then I drink 96 oz. of water through the day. I sometimes have decaf tea with meals, but other than that, it's all water. I use a 24 oz. insulated tumbler with a lid and a straw (because I'm a spaz!). I like mine ice-cold. I take it to work and in the car when I run errands. I find that sipping it in the car helps me fight the urge to swing through Starbuck's. I can tell you that I have absolutely felt the benefits. I haven't had to take tylenol for a headache in months, I fall asleep faster, and I don't seem to hit the afternoon slump anymore. Good luck everyone!

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    1. Jen, thanks for sharing this! I can totally relate... Can't wait to feel the same benefits!

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  6. I'm in! This sounds great!

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  7. I am in...I like that I don't have to give up my caffeine intake :)

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    1. me too! it is better to add in the good stuff. when i drink more water, i need less coffee!

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  8. I'm in. Good for kidney disease?

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    1. if you have kidney disease, you should talk to your doctor and ask if drinking more water would be good for you.

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  9. I'm in too. I know that I am chronically dehydrated and having the reminder to make sure I drink enough water is perfect.

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    1. i can not wait to hear how you feel!

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  10. sounds great! can't wait to fly!

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  11. I want to give it a try!!!!

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  12. I'm in! I need to stop drinking some much soda.

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  13. Starting tomorrow! THANKS for the incentive :)

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  14. I'm in. I need to lose 40 obser. Great way to start.

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  15. What if I'm breast feeding how much more water should I b drinking

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    1. I do not think much more than what we are doing. I would also pay attention to any changes you feel with your production of your baby as you up your intake.

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  16. sounds good!

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  17. I need to drink more water and less diet coke. I am in!

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    1. I used to be a HUGE diet coke addict! I know where you are coming from!

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  18. okay, I'll give it a go

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  19. I'm going to do this!!

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  20. Sounds good to me. I don't drink NEARLY enough H2O

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  21. Count me in!!!!!!

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  22. Sounds good.

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  23. I am in! Thanks a great idea

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  24. I am in! Let's fly!

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  25. In ! An app everyone can try is Water Your Body, there is a free one and another for $.99 :)

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  26. I would love to join you!

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  27. I'm in!! Looking forward to improving my health.

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  28. I'm in!! Fly 2013

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  29. I believe I can fly... Or at least try! We're in! :)

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  30. Im in!!! Time to start my journey to healthful living

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  31. I'm in....Getting my mason jar ready!!!!!

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  32. I believe this will truly help me! I feel dehydrated JUST reading about it! ;^)

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  33. My family is joining you. I just color coded our Ball Jars and we are going to aide the holiday detox with a massive hydration effort!

    Thanks for the jump start!

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    1. it seems like such a great time to start! How did you color code your jars?

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  34. cool, I'm in. It shouldn't be too difficult, I drink a lot of water anyway but keeping track might bring me that extra push :)

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  35. I'm in, looking forward to making positive changes in my life this year!

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  36. im in. eventhough im an athelete i hardly drink water this will deffiantly a challenge but i know it'll be good!

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  37. I'm in. Gotta break the diet Pepsi addiction!

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  38. Wow! This is a large flock. Very encouraging. I'm in. 8-D

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  39. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to become more healthy, so this is a perfect start for me! Thank you for including us in your challenge.

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  40. Can't wait to start. I have to lose 10 more lbs per my doctor's orders. I hope this does the trick.

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  41. I'm using the app "water your body" it tracks your water and even reminds you when it's time for more.

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  42. I would love to try this. I am a big milk drinker, a soda here and there but hardly water.

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  43. I so need to drink more water...thank you!

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  44. I'm in! My brother got me a HydraCoach for Christmas. It keeps up with how much water I drink.:)

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  45. I hardly drink anything all day and my husband is always on me to do something like this. So i am taling this as it was meant to happen.... finding this.

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  46. I'm in !!!!

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  47. I used to drink a lot of water and idk what happened and I was thinner...now I need to get back to this :) just gotta remind myself...drinking water before meals help so much as well!! Cant wait to get back down to my normal weight and for my skin to improve as well :)

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